Recording thermometer container



Feb. 1, 1966 A. R. TAYLOR RECORDING THERMOMETER CONTAINER Filed June 12,1964.

FIG. 3.

ARTHUR R. TAYLOR INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,232,475 RECORDING THERMOMETER CONTAINERArthur R. Taylor, Bellevue, Wash, assignor to Ryan Recording ThermometerCo., Seattle, Wasln, a corporation of Delaware Filed June 12, 1964, Ser.No. 374,598 2 Claims. (Cl. 22057) The present invention relates to awaterproof container for housing a recording thermometer and is of thegeneral type shown in US. Patent No. 2,772,016. It is contemplated thatthe recording thermometers for which the present invention is designedwill be of the 'bi-metallic coil sensing type with clock wind described,for example, in US. Patents Nos. 1,989,856 and 3,119,269.

Recording thermometers have found important application inhydrographical monitoring requiring that the instruments be submerged.In "such cases, even though the instruments are frequently suspendedwithin perforated tubes for protection, they are commonly subjected toaquatic jostling. This motion endangers seals and makes O-rings, ifused, susceptible to a pumping action resulting in the pulling of waterinto the container. Accordingly, the present invention aims to providean im proved container for recording thermometers which is waterproofwhen submerged, even under adverse conditions, and yet is of simple andeconomical construction, and can be readily opened and reused withoutapplication of sealing compounds or adhesives.

Other more particular objects and advantages of the invention, will,with the foregoing, appear and be understood in the course of thefollowing description and claims, the invention consisting in the novelconstruction and in the adaptation and combination of parts hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container embodying the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the lines 22 of FIG. 1;and

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the container.

Referring to the drawings it is seen that the container has a generallycylindrical casing closed at the bottom and having a disc-like cover asa closure at the top. Starting atits base the container has a uniformdiameter through the major part of its length and then the containerwall slopes outwardly at 12 to a relatively short enlarged intermediatesection 13. At the upper end of the latter the container again slopesoutwardly by a shoulder 14 to a terminal rim section 15.

The cover 11 mates with the intermediate casing section 13 for slidingentry therein and is circumferentially grooved at 16 to receive anelastic O-ring 17 having a thickness somewhat greater than the depth ofthe groove so as to be susceptible to compression by the container wallsection 13 and thereby act as a moisture seal. An annular recess 18 isformed on top of the cover and has a circumferential under-cuttinggroove 18a for receiving convenient tools for pulling the cover free ofthe container during disassembly to obtain access to the data compiledby the recording thermometer. At the center of the cover the base of therecess 18 is formed with a detent 18b to receive the free end of aclamping screw 22 in a manner to be hereinafter described. Secured tothe base of the cover by screws 19 is an inverted cup'like adapter 20into which is fitted the body 21 of the recording thermometer, thelatter being outlined by broken lines in FIG. 2.

The casing 10, cover 11, and adapter 20 are preferably made of anon-corrosive material having high thermal conductivity such as aluminumso that the thermostatic elements of the recording thermometer will beaccurately Patented Feb. 1, 1965 subjected to temperature changes withinthe surrounding environment.

The rim section 15 of the container is horizontally slotted adjacent itslower end at diametrically opposite positions such as at slots 23-23.Adapted to extend through these slots are a pair of oppositely extendingfeet 24-24 formed at the bottom of the legs 25 of a yoke 26. The head 27of the yoke has a threaded central opening 28 which receives theclamping screw 22. An eye 30 serves as the head of the screw and a lockwasher 31 is provided between the eye and the yoke head 27.

Near their outer ends the yoke feet 24 are pierced to present respectiveopenings 32 for receiving a wire keeper 33 bent in a generallysemicircular loop and having a relaxed diameter slightly exceeding thecenter-to-center distance between the openings 32. At the ends of thisloop the keeper is formed with upwardly extending locking fingers 35-36which bend inwardly toward one another at respective elbows 35a-36a.From its root end the locking finger 35 slopes outwardly to its elbow351 so that when the keeper is in looking position the elbow 35aslightly overlies the outer end of the respective foot 34 and the tip ofthe finger 35 overlies the inner edge of the respective opening 32 whilethe tip of the other finger 36 overlies the upper rim of the container.Since the diameter of the loop portion of the keeper exceeds that of thecontainer sections 13 and 15 the plane of the loop normally is tilteddownwardly about thirty degrees from the horizontal.

The keeper is unlocked by manually pressing downwardly on the keeperadjacent the finger 35 with the keeper lifted to the horizontal. Thispressure forces the elbow 35a downwardly through the respective opening32 while the tip of the finger 35 rides against the rim section 15 ofthe container, there being sufficient spring action in the finger topermit the necessary finger deflection for release. Then the keeper isswung about a quarter turn to swing the tip of the finger 36 free of theupper rim of the container whereupon it can be lowered out of therespective opening 32 while at the same time gradually upwardly cockingthe other end of the keeper. The keeper is applied by reversing theabove releasing procedure.

To prepare for use, after the thermometer body 21 is fitted into theadapter 20, it is lowered into the casing 10 and downward pressure ismanually applied to upper face of the cover 11 to force the same to thelevel of the bottom edges of the slots 23. This causes a compression ofthe O-ring 17 between the door of the cover groove 16 and theintermediate container section 13 to provide a cover seal. It will benoted that the upper shoulder 14 of the casing helps to guide the coverfrom the enlarged rim section 15 into the intermediate section 13 as thecover is pressed down. The yoke 26 is then applied by first completelyinserting one of its feet 24 in one of the slots 23 with the oppositeend of the yoke cocked upwardly, then shifting the yoke to insert theother foot 24 after lowering the latter to the level of the slots.Following this the screw 22 is tightened to seat its lower end againstthe floor of the detent 18b and force the cover 11 firmly against theshoulder 12 of the casing 10. Then the keeper 33 may be applied aspreviously described.

In hydrographic use the resulting unit may be conveniently lowered intothe water to the desired depth by playing out a line attached to the eye30. The O-ring 17 maintains a watertight seal for the cover 11 and isprevented from moving relative to the casing 10 by way of the fact thatthe cover is firmly clamped against the shoulder 12 by the screw 22.

It is thought that the invention will have been clearly understood fromthe foregoing detailed description. Changes in the details ofconstruction will suggest themselves and may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention, wherefore it is my intentionthat no limitations be implied and that the hereto annexed claims begiven a scope fully commensurate with the broadest interpretation towhich the employed language admits.

I claim:

1. A container comprising, a generally cylindrical casing open at thetop and having an enlarged upper rim portion terminating at its lowerend at an inner annular stop shoulder, said rim portion having a pair ofcoplanar diametrically opposite slots spaced above said shoulder, andextending through said casing, a removable disc-likecover for saidcasing adapted to occupy a casing closing position beneath the level ofsaid slots and seated against said shoulder, said cover having acircumferential groove formed in its outer edge, an elastic O-ringretained in said groove for sealing between said cover and said rimportion, a yoke having a pair of oppositely extending feet projectingradially 20 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS2,572,963 10/1951 Wily 220 57 2,772,016 11/1956 Bristol 220-57 FOREIGNPATENTS 397,931 5/ 1909 France. 313,051 6/ 1929 Great Britain. 131,3232/ 1929 Switzerland.

THERON E. ,CONDON, Primary Examiner,

1. A CONTAINER COMPRISING, A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL CASING OPEN AT THETOP AND HAVING AN ENLARGED UPPER RIM PORTION TERMINATING AT ITS LOWEREND AT AN INNER ANNULAR STOP SHOULDER, SAID RIM PORTION HAVING A PAIR OFCOPLANAR DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE SLOTS SPACED ABOVE SAID SHOULDER, ANDEXTENDING THROUGH SAID CASING, A REMOVABLE DISC-LIKE COVER FOR SAIDCASING ADAPTED TO OCCUPY A CASING CLOSING POSITION BENEATH THE LEVEL OFSAID SLOTS AND SEATED AGINST SAID SHOULDER, SAD COVER HAVING ACIRCUMFERENTIAL GROOVE FORMED IN ITS OUTER EDGE, AN ELASTIC O-RINGRETAINED IN SAID GROOVE FOR SEALING BETWEEN SAID COVER AND SAID RIMPORTION, A YOKE HAVING A PAIR OF OPPOSITELY EXTENDING FEET PROJECTINGRADIALLY THROUGH SAID SLOTS BEYOND SAID CASING AND EACH HAVING ARESPECTIVE OPENING OUTSIDE OF THE CASING, KEEPER MEANS EXTENDING THROUGHSAID OPENINGS AND A SCREW THREADED THROUGH THE CENTER OF SAID YOKE ANDENGAGING THE TOP OF SAID COVER